Ex-Timberwolves employee who stole hard drive sentenced to 2 years probation
Somak Sarkar (Hennepin County Jail)
A former Minnesota Timberwolves employee will be spending two years on probation after authorities alleged that he stole a hard drive belonging to the team that held contracts and strategies.
On Tuesday, 23-year-old Somark Sarkar was sentenced in Hennepin County Court after he pled guilty to one count of unauthorized computer access in late June. He was initially charged with third-degree burglary, but the charge was changed in a plea agreement. A judge ordered Sarkar’s 364-day sentence at the Hennepin County Workhouse to be stayed for two years of probation.
However, if Sarkar is compliant, he will be eligible for early discharge after one year.
According to court documents, conditions of Sarkar’s probation include:
- Remaining law-abiding.
- To have no contact with the victim.
- To stay a reasonable distance away from the victim’s residence.
- To stay away from a three-block radius of any such person and where they live, work, or go to school.
- To provide a DNA sample when directed.
- To follow all instructions of his probation.
- To write a letter of apology within 30 days of sentencing.
- Within 270 days (9 months) of sentencing, provide the state with verification that all seized personal electronic devices have been wiped clean of the victim’s personal information.
Sarkar was arrested in March after he was accused of stealing and downloading sensitive information from a Minnesota Timberwolves executive’s hard drive.
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Court documents state Sarkar worked as an analyst for the team until he was moved to a coaching group because he was “butting heads” with his boss.
Then, on Feb. 3, Sarkar allegedly went into Timberwolves Executive Vice President Sachin Gupta’s office and took a hard drive containing employee and player contracts, strategic information and sensitive personal data.
Charging documents state that Gupta reviewed security footage and found that Sarkar was the one who entered the office.